THE COLOR PURPLE Movie Musical - News & Discussion Thread

Cynthia just has to be doing it. If she won an Oscar for it, she would get her EGOT all from The Color Purple, which I'm guessing would be a first.

Do you people know what "in development" actually means.

BroadwayConcierge said: "Cynthia, Cynthia, Cynthia, or don’t do it at all. "

i second this. if it ain’t cynthia i don’t want it. and heather headley needs to play shug again. she was incredible. she is the rightful shug. if not her then anika noni rose.

bk said: "Do you people know what "in development" actually means."

"You people." I love that.

I will be SHOCKED if it's not Erivo –– they probably can't technically sign/announce her until a director is signed, but discussions have likely occurred.

Erivo right now is similar to Eddie Redmayne before he won the Oscar for Theory of Everything. In addition to El Royale and Widows, she has Harriet Tubman (Oscars love a biopic) + two more ensemble films in post-production (Chaos Walking and Needle in a Timestack). And she's repped by UTA.

Of course, it could be years away, depending on how quickly a director, writer, and studio sign on. But if a "name" director like Barry Jenkins or Ava DuVernay or Steve McQueen is a quick "yes" and wants to prioritize it, they could start shooting in a year and release Fall 2020. Only time will tell, but those producers know what they're doing –– and on paper, it seems less complicated than WICKED.

SomethingPeculiar said: "I will be SHOCKED if it's not Erivo –– they probably can't technically sign/announce her until a director is signed, but discussions have likely occurred.

Erivo right now is similar toEddie Redmayne before he won the Oscar forTheory of Everything.In addition to El RoyaleandWidows, shehasHarriet Tubman(Oscars love a biopic) + two more ensemble films in post-production (Chaos Walking and Needle in a Timestack). And she's repped by UTA.

Of course, it could be years away, depending on how quickly a director, writer, and studio sign on. But if a "name" director likeBarry Jenkins or Ava DuVernay or Steve McQueenis a quick "yes"and wants to prioritize it, theycould start shooting in a year and release Fall 2020.Only time will tell, but those producers know what they're doing –– and on paper, it seems less complicated thanWICKED."

If any of those three direct this, I will faint on the spot and give this movie so much money.

natashalost said: "Can anyone see Jennifer Hudson doing this film? She would easily be a recognizable/bankable name for the film."

I think she would do it if offered, despite her bitterness. She's had zero film career since Dreamgirls and it could be a bounceback. But I doubt she'd be the team's first choice –– they'd probably offer it to people like Janelle Monae (who would be amazing) and Beyonce (who would probably turn it down) before Hudson.

bk said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "bk said: "Do you people know what "in development" actually means."

And somehow it’ll come before the Wicked movie"

Doubtful. No director/no script/no nothing. Just "in development." Even if this happened you're talking about three or four years from now.

"

Also, just because Wicked has a director and screenwriter attached doesn't mean that that is the director and screenplay that MIGHT eventually move on to filming. Movie musicals have a history of being "on development" for decades. Directors come and go, screenplays get written and rewritten, and sometimes nothing comes from any of it. The same can be said for many non-musical movies as well. Look at the remake of Dune. It has gone through two major studios, four directors and at least as many screenwriters in the last decade; and while things seem to be getting closer to an actual shooting date, it still may never happen.

All "in development" means is that someone with some degree of money and/or power is thinking about it, and may have put a team together to help think about it.

It would be great if this happens. It's a great musical with a really good score, but it is still way to early to get excited about this yet.

With WICKED, I get the impression that Marc Platt is in no rush, since the stage show is doing so well on its own -- similar to the LES MIS film, which started percolating in 1991 and was released 21 years later.

COLOR PURPLE, on the other hand, is in a unique position: it has always been timely, but #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo have made it more relevant, and Cynthia Erivo only has so many years in which she could play Celie. Spielberg/Oprah/Quincy Jones add prestige to the project and make it seem "real", and Scott Sanders clearly loves the property (he lead-produced both Bway productions, and is also doing In The Heights).

SomethingPeculiar said: "natashalost said: "Can anyone see Jennifer Hudson doing this film? She would easily be a recognizable/bankable name for the film."

I think she would do it if offered, despite her bitterness. She's had zero film career sinceDreamgirlsand it could be a bounceback. But I doubt she'd be the team's first choice –– they'd probably offer it to people like Janelle Monae (who would be amazing) and Beyonce (who wouldprobably turn it down) before Hudson."

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Jennifer was such a pill to producers, I understand, that I imagine she'd be low on their list if they wanted to have a pleasant set experience.